This invention relates to a rack-supporting channel and stop arrangement for front-opening structures containing an article-supporting rack or drawer supported from rollers carried in a channel or slide for inward and outward movement relative to the structure. This invention is particularly advantageously used with front-loading appliances such as automatic dishwashers having dish racks supported by channel members mounted to the side walls of the dishwasher for retaining the rollers carrying the dishwasher rack within the channel.
Commercially available front-loading automatic dishwashers have an upper dish rack while is typically supported from the side walls of the dishwasher wash chamber to permit inward and outward movement of the dish rack. One known support structure arrangement employs a dish rack supported from rollers mounted to the rack itself. A pair of rack-supporting channels of generally C-shaped cross section are disposed on opposing side walls within the wash chamber, each being supported from rollers rotatably mounted to the wash chamber wall spaced apart in rectangular orientation with upper and lower rows of rollers. The rack-supporting rollers are received within a trackway formed in the interior of the channel. The internal trackway is necessarily blocked by a plastic clip or other means to retain the rack-supporting rollers within the trackway.
Snap-in plugs or caps are attractive blocking means for such trackways because of the relative ease of assembly and low fabrication cost. However, the potentially substantial pull-out forces to which the rack may be subjected also tend to undesirably snap out conventional snap-in type caps.
One alternative type of blocking means which avoids the snap-out problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,098 to Field. As taught by Field, the blocking means comprises a bumper member inserted in each end of the rack-supporting channel. The bumper member is held in position by a retaining pin which passes through both the channel and the bumper member. A locking tab formed integrally with the bumper member extends over the head of the retainer pin to retain it in its position.
Such an arrangement employing multiple parts is relatively costly and complex to assemble. What is needed is a cap or plug which provides sufficient structural rigidity to resist the potentially substantial pull-out forces but having the cost and assembly advantages of a snap-in plug.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rack-supporting channel and stop arrangement employing a one-piece, integrally formed stop member which provides the fabrication and assembly advantages of a snap-in plug while also providing the necessary rigidity to withstand the normal pull-out load.